Vaisala receives patent for its innovative method of measuring evaporated hydrogen peroxide

A new patent protects the internally developed Vaisala system with two gas sensors as well as the innovative technology for measuring evaporated hydrogen peroxide. The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the patent applied for by Vaisala in March 2018. Vaisala has also applied for patents in China and Europe for the same invention.

The patented invention is a novel method and device for measuring evaporated hydrogen peroxide, which is increasingly used in various applications. Today, evaporated hydrogen peroxide is commonly used in bio-decontamination processes, especially in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and life sciences industries. In the pharmaceutical industry, H2O2 vapor is used as a decontamination agent to ensure production and end-product quality. In the healthcare sector, H2O2 vapor is used to ensure patient safety, as it prevents the spread of pathogens such as bacteria resistant to many antibiotics, and destroys even the most resistant microorganisms.

"Vaisala is constantly researching techniques for measuring new parameters. We are proud and happy that with this forward-looking innovation, we can support our customers in measuring evaporated hydrogen peroxide, which has previously been considered difficult to measure," says the inventor of the process, Senior Scientist Jukka Leppänen at Vaisala Industrial Measurements.

"Developing a new technology like this is not quick and easy. It was a lengthy process, and the rapid granting of the patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office is proof that there was a genuine need for this revolutionary innovation. Likewise, the strong customer interest demonstrates the high market demand for reliable, stable, and accurate measurements of evaporated H2O2," Leppänen explains.

In 2017, Vaisala launched the HPP272, the first probe to utilize the patented H2O2 measurement technology. In addition to hydrogen peroxide, the innovative Vaisala HPP272 also measures temperature, relative humidity, and relative saturation. It operates with the PEROXCAP™ sensor, based on capacitive thin-film sensor technology, which Vaisala specifically developed for measuring evaporated H2O2.

Manufacturers of life sciences devices in Europe, Asia, and the United States use the Vaisala HPP272 probe in isolators, generators, and material shuttles. The probe is also used in applications for bio-decontamination of rooms, such as in hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry. Many Vaisala customers are currently exploring ways to integrate the probe into their devices or to use it in other bio-decontamination applications.